Survey: How Do You Drink Your Water?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11.12.07
TreeHugger has been all over bottled water for years, but has also warned about bisphenol A and the dangers of gender bender chemicals, both from polycarbonates and in municipal water. There are so many trade-offs, and now we have to worry about not only what we drink but what we drink it out of.
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I refill used water bottles with filtered water from the tap. I know tap water is regularly tested and also feel that there is less chance of leeching if I reuse the bottles over and over.
The leaching issue is as much about the age of the bottle and the temperature changes it goes through as the time the liquid sits in it. I haven't read anything that says a new bottled water is more likely to contain chemicals than a refilled bottle of water. As far as I know the bottle itself is the issue. I use a Klean Kanteen stainless steel bottle
I also do Klean Kanteen with a Brita from home or tap. At work I use the bottled dispenser with a glass but I know we return the bottles for refill so I don't think the water sits in them very long.
I use bottled water (giant 5 gallon container) because the city water pipes are old and I don't trust them. I live in Korea and even if I had access to water testing info I can't read it! The Koreans at the school said not to drink the water right from the tap and I trust them.
When I move to a place where I can install a filter I'm going that route.
I use a Klean Kanteen. Mountain Equipment Co-op now sells two stainless bottles. I also use a SIGG stainless bottle. Sadly SIGG is no longer making the stainless flask.
I use a stainless steel bottle from http://www.guyotdesigns.com/ They have the standard nalgene sized mouth so that I'm able to use my Camelbak top with them.
My water bottle isn't plastic at all; it's stainless steel. A Klean Kanteen. I love it!